Instructions on implementing Address to Federal Assembly

Vladimir Putin signed a list of instructions for implementing the Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly.

December 27, 2013

17:00

In particular, the Government of the Russian Federation is instructed to present proposals on improving the mechanism for preliminarily consideration of draft legal acts concerning matters of public importance with participation by civil society institutions; make changes to state programmes ensuring the unconditional fulfilment of instructions contained in the Presidential Executive Orders of May 7, 2012; ensure that legislation is amended to stipulate the transfer to the programme principle of the budget formation for Russian federal constituent entities for 2016 and the planning period of 2017 and 2018, as well as making federal and regional executive agency heads personally responsible for achieving the objectives stated in the programmes.

Instructions to the Government also concern the creation of an independent assessment system for the quality of social sector services, further development of the mandatory medical insurance system and a network of federal centres providing high-tech medical aid, based on the need to make it accessible for residents of all Russian regions. In particular, instructions are being given to ensure that beginning on January 1, 2015, a free yearly medical check-up is provided to individuals under the age of 18 and that adults have access to a free medical check-up once every three years, as well as ensuring that the volume of high-tech medical aid provided increases by no less than 50 percentwithin the next three years, as compared to 2013.

Instructions to the Government on education concern, in part, taking into account high school graduates’ final essay, alongside the National Final School Exam, in admissions to higher education institutions starting in the next academic year,as well as increasing the efficacy in organising the education of foreign citizens in Russia, first and foremost CISBackground informationCommonwealth of Independent States (CIS) nationals.

Instructions to the Government also concern the implementation of the Studies and Developments on Priority Areas in Expanding the Research and Technology Complex for 2014–2020 federal target programme, the development of innovative technologies, and the creation of a system for strategically assessing the level of different economic sectors’ technological development.

The Government is instructed to present proposals on improving the living standards and the quality of life in rural areas; draft and approve a set of measures to increase the investment appeal of single-industry towns; and make amendments to Russian legislation with the aim of supporting small businesses.

The Government is also instructed to ensure that amendments are made to Russian legislation pertaining to relieving the economy of offshore operations.

The Government is instructed jointly with the Presidential Executive Office to assess Russia’s information policy on publicising the Russian Federation’s state policy abroad, and to develop a set of measures to improve coordination for activities in this area based on the need to protect traditional values and humanistic views.

The Government’s Military Industrial Commission is instructed to present proposals on improving the work of organisations in the military industrial complex, taking into account the need to strengthen Russia’s positions in the global arms market. Instructions are also being given to present suggestions on ensuring sufficient workloadfor these organisations (after fulfilling the state defence order through 2020), including by transitioning to the production of high-tech civilian products that are in demand in domestic and foreign markets.

The Government is instructed jointly with senior regional officials to determine the criteria for classifying individual territories located in the Far East and Eastern Siberia as areas of advanced socioeconomic development, establish a list of such areas and ensure that legislative amendments are adopted stipulating special conditions for conducting business in those areas.

Individual instructions have been given to the Government jointly with the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (Bank of Russia) and the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The Government is instructed jointly with the Foreign Ministry to ensure the coordination of a draft Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union with the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Kazakhstan and preparing a draft federal law on ratifying said Treaty.